France’s ‘fuel riots’ have become more—a political forum and a national emergency Updating a previous item, Paris police deployed water cannons this past weekend in the latest phase of defense against the “Yellow Vest” protesters decrying fuel costs in France. The protests—which have sprawled to riots in some cases—entered their fifth weekend on December 15. […]

Company restructuring moves forward with sale of renewables business NRG, the power company with dual headquarters in Princeton, N.J., and Houston, Tex., announced specifics of its restructuring plan February 7. The company will sell a number of assets, including sale of its interest in branches NRG Yield and NRG’s Renewables Platform. NRG and NRG Yield entered into […]

Long-developing wind project using DC to cut emissions A large-scale energy project that has been on the docket for almost a decade appears to be moving forward, albeit at a snail’s pace. At least one catalyst in the ongoing production of Wyoming’s Sierra Madre wind project is good old DC transmission. Power Company of Wyoming’s Chokecherry and […]

World’s largest battery goes online in Australia In what some consider a landmark achievement for renewable energy, the world’s largest battery went online Monday in Australia. Hornsdale Power Reserve, in the state of South Australia, features the world’s largest lithium-ion battery, used to provide power to huge wind turbines. The project—a joint venture between French […]

Cuts will come from GE Power; at least half will be in Europe General Electric will eliminate approximately 12,000 positions from its power division, GE Power, affecting both professional and production employees, the company announced today. The “headcount reductions,” as GE calls them, are a result of prior miscalculations of the sectors demand for coal […]

Energy provider releases “Colorado Energy Plan”, retires two coal plants Xcel Energy announced its latest energy proposal Wednesday, calling for the shutdown of two major coal-powered plants and a headfirst dive into renewable energy for the state. While the stipulation hinges on consumers saving money, it asks the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to approve […]

West Virginia repair and machine shop closing after 80 years Kanawha Electric & Machine Co., of Charleston, W.V., announced last Thursday it will close its doors after 80 years of service. The business had been a maintenance stalwart, specializing in mining equipment but repairing motors of all kinds since 1937. It will now be forced to […]

World’s largest battery storage project online in California Battery storage used to just mean that cabinet in the front hallway, where you kept assorted AA’s, 9V’s, flashlights, and that awesome 80s battery-tester that lit up green if the battery in question still worked. Now you need a real estate agent, permits, and multi-million dollar renewable energy […]

Renewables, startups gain mainstream exposure Do regulations and unfamiliarity hamper small business owners, even in robust and growing market segments like renewable energy? Carla Walker-Miller, founder of energy services provider Walker-Miller Energy Services, took that question to MSNBC’s Morning Joe program this week. You can view the segment here; episode is Wednesday, June 8, and her segment appears at 39:00. […]

For storing renewables, take it back to the tracks One of the newest developing technologies in the renewable energy sector is regenerative braking, and the potential for applying it to a centuries-old industry and its infrastructure: train tracks. The basic principle is to gather energy used to move a train uphill and store it, recovering […]